rt2800pci fails to set mac address unless it is within 3 bits of the original

[Forest]

The rt2800pci driver seems to be preventing me from assigning a MAC address to my netbook's Ralink RT2860 device. Both the macchanger utility and Network Manager's "Cloned MAC address" feature fail unless my desired MAC address is almost the same as the hardware MAC address.

The only addresses that I have found to work are those that differ only in the 3 least significant bits. For example, supposing my hardware MAC address was 55:44:33:22:11:01, I am able to set a new address of 55:44:33:22:11:00 or 55:44:33:22:11:07 and every address between those two, but not 55:44:33:22:11:08 or anything higher, and not 55:44:33:22:10:ff or anything lower.

Network Manager does not notify the user of the failure, but records it in syslog as "failed to set MAC address". The macchanger utility reports it as an "Invalid argument" error.

This is a 32-bit Ubuntu 13.04 (raring) system running the 3.8.0-25-generic kernel.
Hardware is an ASUS Eee PC 1000HE, which apparently has a Ralink RT2860 wireless chipset.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1192737

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Forest (foresto)]

Can you please specify exactly what information is needed? I don't know what apport-collect reports, and I don't really want it pushing all my system log files (along with privacy-sensitive information) to launchpad. I would be happy to attach the relevant log excerpts instead.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1192737

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Forest (foresto)]

Brad, did you read the comment the preceded yours? Nobody has specified exactly what information is needed here, and sending all my log files (including privacy-sensitive information) to launchpad is a bit much to ask. Tell me what exactly you need and I'll get it for you.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1192737

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Forest (foresto)]

Ah, I just noticed that I'm talking to an automated script. Okay, I'll set the status to something that (I hope) won't trigger it again.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.10 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.10-rc6-saucy/

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Also, do you happen to know if this was an issue with prior releases or kernels?

[Forest (foresto)]

I checked with the 11.04 live CD, and the problem was not present in that release. I'll add a regression tag.

[Forest (foresto)]

The problem still exists in the 3.9-rc8-raring kernel packages downloaded from kernel.ubuntu.com. (As far as I can tell, these are the most recent kernel packages for raring.)

[Forest (foresto)]

The problem appears to be fixed in the 3.10-rc6-saucy kernel packages when installed on raring.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Thanks for testing, Forest. That is good news the issue is fixed in v3.10-rc6. It would be good to know if this is fixed in the latest 3.8 stable kernel, which is 3.8.13.3. That kernel can be downloaded from:

 http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.8.13.3-raring/

If the bug still exists in v3.8.13.3, we can perform a "Reverse" kernel bisect. That will allow us to identify the commit in v3.10 that fixes this bug, and request it be applied to the stable trees.

[Forest (foresto)]

Confirmed: the bug still exists in v3.8.13.3.

I hope someone else can do the bisect. I've already spent more time on this than I had planned, and I really must be getting back to work.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Forest, could you please test for resolution in Saucy via http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ ?

[Philip Eklöf (pe-1)]

I'm experiencing the same issue with Ralink RT5390, also using rt2800pci (running Arch Linux with kernel 3.9.9, though).

As previously noted, changing the MAC address was working in previous kernel versions. Currently only addresses very similar to the default address can be set.

I fetched the current daily-live from the URL above, booted it and tried setting couple of random MAC addresses (macchanger -A) -- it works.

Rebooting into the 3.9.9 kernel and trying to set the same addresses on the interface just shows "RTNETLINK answers: Invalid argument".

[Forest (foresto)]

Christopher, I guess I don't have to test the daily Saucy build now that Philip has done it. (Thanks, Philip.)

[Forest (foresto)]

I just got a chance to test the saucy daily. It's fixed for me, too.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Forest, would you need a backport to a release prior to Saucy, or may we mark this as Status Invalid?

Philip Eklöf, if you have a bug in Ubuntu, the Ubuntu Kernel team, Ubuntu Bug Control team, and Ubuntu Bug Squad would like you to please file a new report by executing the following in a terminal:
ubuntu-bug linux

For more on this, please see the Ubuntu Kernel team article:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/KernelTeamBugPolicies#Filing_Kernel_Bug_reports

the Ubuntu Bug Control team and Ubuntu Bug Squad team article:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/BestPractices#X.2BAC8-Reporting.Focus_on_One_Issue

and Ubuntu Community article:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette

When opening up the new report, please feel free to subscribe me to it.

Please note, not filing a new report would delay your problem being addressed as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Forest (foresto)]

I can put up with the bug until Saucy arrives, though I wouldn't say that makes the bug invalid on Raring. It is a real bug, after all.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Forest, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1192737/comments/17 regarding this being fixed with an update. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. I'll preserve the Raring task as Joesph Salisbury added it, and it appears he is intending a Raring backport despite you not explicitly requesting one. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

This bug was nominated against a series that is no longer supported, ie raring. The bug task representing the raring nomination is being closed as Won't Fix.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.